120 MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. I90I. 



over a wide range in the northern states and in the mountains 

 south. Though usually found on gravelly soil, it will thrive in 

 any good garden soil, and it is one of the very few ornamental 

 shrubs specially suited for densely shaded situations. Although 

 not abundant in our woods, it is not rare and its chaste beauty 

 entitles it to a place among valuable native ornamental plants. 



Arboreum, introduced into the Kew Gardens by John Cree in 

 1765, forms an irregular shrub too diffuse and straggling to be 

 of value except in masses at the south. Hirsutum, from the 

 mountainous regions of North Carolina and Alabama, is as 

 beautiful in its autumn coloring as is corymb sum and like that 

 species retains its foliage late in the season. Vitis-Idcea and 

 uliginosum, with their shining box-like foliage, are effective as 

 edging for the shrubbery border. Ovatum is characterized by 

 Douglas 1 as "one of California's most beautiful hedge plants," 

 but it has as yet received little attention in cultivation. 



PROPAGATION. 



The spread of any plant in cultivation is, to a large extent, 

 dependent upon the activity of progressive nurserymen. If 

 these men find a given class of plants difficult of propagation, 

 such plants are seldom widely cultivated. In the past one chief 

 drawback to the dissemination of the blueberries has been the 

 difficulty, or supposed difficulty, of propagation. The few 

 nurserymen who have offered them for sale have usually 

 depended upon the native heaths and pastures for their supply 

 of plants, rather than upon the nursery rows. The results have 

 been most discouraging, and the blueberries, though among the 

 finest of fruits, are almost unknown in cultivation. 



In the case of the cranberries, propagation is performed almost 

 exclusively by cuttings. With the blueberries grafting is easily 

 performed and in this way specially choice individuals may 

 be perpetuated. For general purposes, however, seedlings or 

 division will be used. Propagation by seed naturally requires 

 care and skill, but is entirely feasible, and the method may be 

 detailed in this connection. At the Arnold Arboretum Jackson 

 Dawson has for many years grown seedling blueberries, and his 

 method is essentially as follows : 2 



*Gard. and For. 6:116, (1893). 

 2 Cf. Country Gent. 1885, 660. 



